Folding stool or seat



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. M. THOMPSON.

FOLDING "STOOL OR SEAT.

No. 451,084. Patented Apr. 28, 1891.

W iigzsses melons-us PETERS cm, PNOTO-LIYND., msnmumn, u. c.

N0 M l.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. M. THOMPSON.

FOLDING STOOL 0R SEAT.

No. 451,084. Patented Ap 28,1891.

Geo. Jl C 720772 060711 ma scams vzrzns cc., mom-mum, WASNINGTDN, n a,

? NITED STATES PATENT Futon.

FOLDING STOOL OR SEAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,084, dated April28, 1891.

Application filed July 3, 1890. Serial No. 357,685. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented a new and useful Folding Stool or Seat, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention has relation to improvements in folding stools or seatsdesigned for use in connection with counters and other places where itis desirable to employ a stool capable of being folded up out of the waywhen not in use and unfolded when in use and form a most rigid' seat.

Further objects of the invention are to construct such a stool in asimple, cheap, and durable manner.

With the above objects in View the invention consists in certainfeatures-of construction hereinafter specified, and particularly pointedout in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stoolconstructed in accord ance with my invention, the same being inposition. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a front elevation, thesame positions being occupied as in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side elevation,the stool being folded or out of position. Fig. 5 is a central verticalsection in detail of the upper portion of the stool-seat and itssupport. Fig. 6 is a similar view of the base-plate and lower portionsof the standard and its connections. Fig. 7 is a detail in perspectiveof the swivel-ring and plate or disk.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

1 designates the base-plate, provided with screw-openings 2, whereby thesame may be rigidly connected to a floor or platform, as may be desired.The base-plate is provided at or near its front edge with a vertical lug3, provided with a shoulder or stop 4.

5 designates the swinging standard, the lower end of which isbifurcated, as at 6, so as to embrace the lug 3, and the bifurcationsare pivoted to the lug by means of a pivotbolt 7. The rear edges of thebifurcations are laterally extended, forming ears 8, the functions ofwhich will hereinafter appear. The depths of the bifurcations 6 are suchas to permit the same to clear the upper edge of the lug 3, which ismade semicircular or curved,

and when the standard arrives at a vertical position the movement of thesame is arrested by coming in contact with the shoulder 4, formed uponsaid lug.

9 designates the seat proper, which is of the usual circular shape, butmay, if desired, be of any other shape and constructed of any suitablematerial; To the under side of the seat there is secured by means ofscrews 10 a circular retaining-plate 11, having a concentric annularopening 12. The inner wall of the opening 12 is provided with, in thisinstance, two concentric annular recesses 13.

14 designates a swivel-plate located within the retaining-plate 11, andits periphery is provided with two concentric flanges or shoulders 15,which fit the recesses 13 of said retaining plate, whereby the retainingplate is adapted to revolve upon the swivel-plate. The swivel-plate hascast integral therewith a diametrically-disposed flange 16, whichdepends from the under side of the same, which flange is provided nearits front edge with a horizontal slot 17, and in rear of the slot ateach side of the flange is a pair of lugs 18, through which is formed atransverse opening 19,

The upper end of the standard 5 is bifurcated, as at 20, and embracesthe lugs 18, and is pivoted thereto by means of a bolt 21, passedthrough the perforation 19. Between the points of pivot 7 and 19 of thestandard-5 said standard is provided with an offset 21 and below saidoffset with apair of perforated lugs 22.

Upon the base-plate 1 in rear of the lug 3 there is located a pair ofbearing-ears 23, and between the same there is pivoted, as at 24, arocking link 25, the front portion of which is slotted, as at 26, and isloosely connected with the ears 8 of the standard 5 by means of apivot-bolt 27.

28 designates a connecting-rod, the lower end of which is bifurcated, asat 29, and pivoted, as at 30, to the rear end of the rocking link.

31 designates the supporting-standard, and the same is flared at itslower end to form a broad supporting-base 32. In fact, the standard isbifurcated at its lower end, the bifurcations diverging, and areconnected by a cross-bar 33,having a central offset 34. The

upper'end of the standard 31 is bifurcated, as

at 35, and the bifurcations are connected toa bolt 36, which passestransversely through the slot 17 of the lug 16, that depends from theunder side of the swivel-plate. A recess 37 is formed in thesupporting-standard a short distance below its upper end, and throughthe same is passed a bolt 38. Abolt 39 is passed through the perforatedears 22 of the standard 5 at a point opposite the recess 37, and the twobolts are loosely connected by means of a toggle joint or lever 40. Tothe center bolt 41 of said joint or lever is connected the upper end ofthe connectingrod 28. The supporting-standard 31, it will be observed,isloosely connected to the flange 16, and the bolt 36, forming theconnection, may be slid to either side of the center of theswivel-plate. The front edge of the standard 31 is provided with aforwardly-disposed lug 42, which takes between the bifurcations 20 ofthe standard 5 and is pivoted to said standard by a bolt 43. Thiscompletes the construction of the stool, and it will be observed thatall of the parts may be cheaply and conveniently cast and assembled withlittle orno hand-finishing, whereby I greatly simplify and cheapen theconstruction of the stool.

Taking the parts in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5 to close thestool or throw the same out of operative position, the rear edge of thesame is grasped and the seat swung to the front. This forward movementupon the part of the seat and the standard5causes the ears 8 of saidstandard to become elevated or raised, and therefore raises the frontend of the slotted rocking link 25 and depresses the rear end thereof.Such depression draws upon the connecting-rod 28 and breaks thetoggle-joint 40, thus drawing the supportingstandard 31 inward,whichinward movement is permissible by reason of the loose connection betweenthe upper end of the standard 31 and the flange 16. \Vhen the foldingoperation has been completed, it will be observed that the offset 34embraces the connecting-rod 28, and the entire device is compact andoffers no protruding parts to engage wearing-apparel of passers-by. Tothrow the stool into operative position it is simply necessary to tiltthe seat rearwardly beyond the pivotal point of the lower end of thestandard with the base-plate, when the parts will fall by gravity andassume their proper positions.

A transverse pin 44 is passed through the standard 5 near the lower endof the same, and upon the pin at opposite sides of the standard aremounted foot-supports 45.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a stool, thecombination, with a baseplate having a perforated lug provided at oneside of the center with a stop or shoulder, of a standard pivoted at itslower end to the lug and bifurcated to embrace the same, saidbifurcations being of such a depth as to pre vent said standard frompassing beyond the lug in its pivotal movement, a stool mounted upon theupper end of the standard, and means forsupporting said standard in aninclined position, substantially as specified.

2. In a stool, the combination, with a base and a standard pivoted atits lower end to the base and extended in rear of its pivot, of astool-seat having a depending flange slotted at its front end and havinga bearing-opening at its rear end, a bolt connecting said opening withthe upper end of the standard, a supporting-standard pivoted to thefirstmentioned standard and looselyconnected by a bolt to the slot ofthe flange, a toggle-lever connecting the two standards below theirpoint of pivot, a connecting-rod depending from the central j oint ofthelever, and arocking link pivoted upon the base and connected at itsrear end to the connecting-rod and loosely connected at its front end tothe rear extended portion at the lower end of the firstmentionedstandard, substantially as specified.

3. In a stool, the combination, with the seat and a retaining-ringsecured to the under side of the same, havinga central opening andconcentric annular bearing-recesses, of a swivelplate havingcorresponding shoulders mounted in the recesses and provided with adepending flange, and crossed standards pivoted to each other and one ofthem to a suitable base and at their upper ends loosely connected to thedepending flange, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with the base-plate pro vided with the front andrear lugs, the standard pivoted in the front lug and havinga rearextension and bifurcated at its upper end, the seat having adependingflange provided atits rear end. with a bearing-opening and at its frontend with a slot, said standard being bifurcated at its upper end toreceive said flange, and a bolt passing through the opening and thebifurcation, of the supporting-standard pivoted to the first-mentionedstandard, bifurcated at its upper end to embrace the flange, and a boltpassing through the bifurcations and the slot in the flange, atoggle-lever loosely connecting the two standards, a rocking linkpivoted on the rear lug of the base-plate and loosely connected at itsfront end to the rearward extension of the firstmentioned standard, anda connecting-rod connecting the rear end of the rocking link with thecentral joint of the toggle-lever,substantially as specified.

5. The combination, with the securing-plate having the lugs3and 23,arranged at the front and rear ends of the base, respectively, theformer lug havinga shoulder 4, and the standard 5, bifurcated at itslower end to embrace the lug 3 and pivoted thereto and having its upperend provided with an offset and a bifurcation, of the seat 9, having theretaining-ring 11 secured thereto and provided with concentric annularrecesses, the swivel-plate 14, mounted in the ring and having annularIIO shoulders resting in the recesses, and a depending flange having arear bearing-opening and a front elongated slot, the standard 31, flaredat its base and having an offset 34 and pivoted between the bifurcationsof the opposite standard and having its upper end bifurcated and bolted,as at 36', to the slot of the flange, the toggle-lever 40, connected, asat 38 and 39, to the standards 31 and 5, respectively, the rocking link25, mounted in the bearings 23, slotted, as at 26, and bolted to therear extension of the standard 5, and the connecting-rod 28, pivoted atits upper end at 41 to the central jointof the togglelever and at itslower end, as at 30, to the rear end of the rocking link, substantiallyas specified.

6. The seat 9, having a plate 11, having a concentric annularopening-12, the inner wall of which is provided with a series ofconcentric annular recesses 13, combined with the swivel-plate 1-1,located Within the plate 11 and provided on its periphery withconcentric shoulders or flanges 15, which fit the recesses 13, as setforth.

7. The seat and the swivel-plate14,having slot 17 and perforation 19,combined with the supporting-standard 31, pivoted in the slot 17 at itsupper end, and the standard 5, pivoted at its upper end in theperforation 19, and both the standards being pivoted directly together,as at 48, the standard 5 being hinged to the floor, as set forth.

8. The seat and the swivel-plate 14, having slot 17 and perforation 19,combined with the supportin -standard 31, pivoted in the slot 17 at itsupper end, and the standard 5, pivoted at its upper end in theperforation l9, and both the standards beingpivoted directly together,as at 43, the standard 5 being hinged to the floor, and theconnecting-rod 28, having a toggle-joint a0 at its upper end, connectingthe two standards together, and a link connection 2-5 with the standard5 at its lower end, as set forth,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEO. M. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

J. H. SIGGERS, R. J. MARSHALL.

